All church sponsored events will follow Safe Sanctuaries.
What is Safe Sanctuaries and what is its role at Aldersgate?
“God calls us to make our churches safe places, protecting children and other vulnerable persons from abuse. God calls us to create communities of faith where children and adults grow safe and strong.” Safe Sanctuaries is the movement and initiative to fulfill this call upon us – to make our churches safe places for the young and the vulnerable and those in ministry with them.
Because we believe that Jesus taught us to care for His children, youth, and vulnerable persons, we commit Aldersgate to the practice of safe supervision.
As persons of faith, and as United Methodists in particular, our Social Principals state: ‘Once considered the property of their parents, children are now acknowledged to be full human beings in their own right, but beings to whom adults and society in general have special obligations. . . .”
One of those obligations is a commitment to keeping them safe.
Our congregation’s purpose for establishing this Safe Sanctuary Policy is to demonstrate our absolute and unwavering commitment to the physical safety and spiritual growth of all vulnerable persons in our church’s care.
Therefore, as a Christian community of faith and a United Methodist congregation, we pledge to conduct the ministry of the gospel in ways that assure the safety and spiritual growth of all our vulnerable persons, as well as those who work with them.
The purpose of safe sanctuary is to provide a safe environment for all persons as much as possible so that no one is harmed, yet also recognizing the need for all persons to have the opportunity to worship. The church continues its policy of performing screening and training procedures for workers involved in the care of children, youth and vulnerable adults.
What is the Safe Sanctuaries Procedure?
The Lead Team has recently approved a change to our Safe Sanctuaries screening and training provider. We will now be using Safe Gatherings, which is endorsed by both Pen Del and Baltimore Washington Conferences. This is the gold standard in background checks.
You will need to be background checked if you have any involvement with children, youth or vulnerable adults. Think Youth Musical, Confirmation mentors, Sunday School, Impact, Music Ministry, visitation. You will need to be background checked with our new provider even if your most recent background check is still valid.
Safe Gatherings tracks everything online. Training is provided online at your own pace and timing. It does not need to be completed in one sitting. Background checks are valid for three years. We are going paperless and entering the 21st century!
There is no cost to you for a background check. Each background check is $39, a considerable expense for the church, but this is not where we want to economize. With that said, should you feel led to pay for your own background check, we will not say no!
The staff were the guinea pigs for the new system, and we were impressed with the ease of the process, as well as the ability to access the training when it worked best for each of us.
How do I become trained and approved?
Please complete your own application online to work with our children, youth and vulnerable adults.
Go to www.safegatherings.com and choose the New User button at the top right corner of the website.
Enter “Aldersgate” as the organization name and then select “Aldersgate United Methodist Church” from the drop-down list. List Pastor Kyung-Hee Sa as your clergy reference and a professional reference (contact them to complete as soon as possible). Do not check the option for a driving record check unless you have been requested to do so from Aldersgate staff. You will also be required to complete the abuse-prevention and boundary-awareness training online, which will take between 1-1/2 and 2 hours. There is no cost to you, yet should you feel led to pay for your own background check, we will accept donations. Please complete and sign up as soon as you are able as it does take a few days to be certified!
Why do we have this approach?
‘Open your mouth for those with no voice, for the cause of all the dispossessed.’ Proverbs 31:8
In instituting Safe Sanctuaries, we speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves.
Safe Sanctuaries is not just a policy. It is a way of doing ministry!
